


Just A Dream

by MistbornHero



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Episode Related, Episode Rewrite: s05e07 Amy's Choice, Episode: s05e07 Amy's Choice, F/M, Reunion Fic, The one with the dream lord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 21:22:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17968280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistbornHero/pseuds/MistbornHero
Summary: When a speck of dust tells the Doctor to choose between dream and reality, an old friend shows up to make things more complicated.





	Just A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed.  
> I wrote this years ago, found it in my documents.

"OK, this is something you haven't seen before. So does that mean this is the dream?" Rory was saying to the Doctor as he sat down.

Behind the Doctor Rose appeared suddenly, a round device with a huge blue button in her chest, her hand over it. She opened her eyes which were shut and looked around her somewhat familiar surroundings, her eyes landed on Amy first. "Excuse me," she paused looking at the two other men suspiciously, one of whom was watching her openmouthedly from his chair, the other turning around with the woman. "Could you tell me where I am?"

"Who are you?" Amy asked at the same time, snapping out of the haze of seeing the strange girl appear. "Doctor, do you know her?" she crossed her arms and looked at the one wearing a blue bow tie.

Rose turned in surprised towards the Time Lord, taking in his blue dress shirt and brown coat, so unlike his old pinstriped outfit. "You have a new face," she stated, sadness evident in her voice. "Are we in the TARDIS? It's freezing in here," she zipped up her blue hoodie and crossed her arms in a small attempt to stay warm.

"You can't be here," he stated in the same sad tone she had used, standing up and walking in circles around her.

Rose uncrossed one arm and held up the button as he passed in front of her a second time. "Torchwood has been working on this for a long time, they were sure it could take them into here. Only it never worked because the TARDIS didn't want them in," she grinned secretively. "I got a friend to distract them for a little and borrowed it," she winked mischievously at the new Doctor, which felt a little odd to her.

"But it shouldn't have worked," the Doctor said amazed, grabbing the device and bending close to her to examine it.

"Does it mean this is the dream?" Rory asked again. 

"What do you mean? That I'm not really here?" her eyes widened in horror as she looked at the Doctor for confirmation.

"I don't know," he replied turning to glare at Rory and moving his hands to emphasise. "But here she is, and there is the burning cold sun, and," he checked his watch quickly. "I'd say we've got about 14 minutes until we crash into it. But that's not a problem."

"Because you know how to get us out of this?" Rory asked slightly hopeful.

The Doctor produced a stethoscope and put it on around himself. "Because we'll have frozen to death."

"Can't we do anything?" Rose looked around wildly. She uncrossed her arms again and put a hand on the TARDIS' console. "Why isn't it humming Doctor?" her eyes filled with horror as it downed on her. "What happened to her? What did you do to the TARDIS Doctor?" she asked sternly, her lips pulling together into a tight line. It was one thing that it had completely changed, while unsettling, it was something she could accept. But it was another thing that she wasn't reaching into her mind like she always did.

"I'm sorry, Rose," he put a hand over her shoulder comfortingly. "She is dead."

"What are we going to do?" Amy asked, finally picking one of the many questions running through her head. Who was the girl, Rose? How did she know the Doctor? What was Torchwood?

"Stay calm," he replied placing the stethoscope over the console, letting go of Rose. "Don't get sucked into it, because this just might be the battle we have to lose."

"Oh, this is so you, isn't it?" Rory asked angrily.

The Doctor looked at him confused. "What?" Rose gave him a similar look, what was he talking about? The Doctor was right, even if this was a dream and they weren't really here, there was still a small chance it was and they had to survive it. And if that was the case then she would have finally succeeded in her search.

"What a weird new star, 14 minutes left to live, a strange visitor and only one man to save the day. I just wanted a nice village and a family."

"Who wants a life that dull?" Rose asked with a dry laugh. She had tried it once and failed miserably, she wanted a fantastic, brilliant, life. One where she saved earth with her Doctor, not with John.

Suddenly the Dream Lord appeared behind the Doctor, grinning widely. "Oh, dear, Doctor. Dissent in the ranks. There was an old doctor from Gallifrey. Who ended up throwing his life away. He let down his friends and..." he stopped as a cheerful birdsong rose looking up. "Oh, no, we've run out of time. Don't spend too long there, or you'll catch your death here."

"What's going on?" Rose tried to not fall asleep helplessly.

***

Rose slowly opened her eyes, feeling the cold, wet, grass under her arms. How had she ended up sleeping on the grass? She closed her eyes again, longing for sleep to take over her again. She had been in the TARDIS with the Doctor, although he had changed he was still her Doctor.

She tried to recall how she had drifted into sleep on the grass, again. She had come back with John's help. When they had discovered how much absorbing the time vortex had affected her, how she could no longer die, nor grow old, but he kept ageing, he had secretly started a project for her to get back. To everyone's surprise he had succeeded, or at least she thought so, since he had sent her without even asking them for their opinion.

Now she had to find the Doctor, and she was always looking around at places with odd qualities that might attract him. Something had made her think this might be one. She opened her eyes with that thought, the first thing she saw was dust and clothes. One so close she could touch it by just moving her arm forward. There were kid's clothes and toys in it. She bolted upright just in time to see a man with long hair run up the steps to the ruins.

"Where have the children gone?" he asked to no one she could see. "You are here, too," he said thoughtfully. He took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the nearest pile of ashes.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Don't know. Play time's probably over," Rory turned to Amy, not yet noticing Rose was there, too. "You see, this is the real one. I just feel it," he looked at Amy smiling. "Don't you feel it? No strange-" he stopped finally seeing her.

"I feel it both places," Amy shrugged and looked at Rose. "You are here, that means the other one can be real, too."

"I feel it here," Rory said looking at the girl with suspicion. The Doctor was still looking at her like she was impossible. "It's just so tranquil and relaxed. Nothing bad could ever happen here," the suspicion turned into a glare, as if Rose's sole presence was disrupting the reality.

"Bad things can happen anywhere," Rose told him quietly. "Eventually, something goes wrong, even when everything feels like it is perfect," she stood up and looked at the Doctor who was still scanning ashes. "By the way, I'm Rose Tyler, previous companion of the Doctor."

"Amy Pond, ex-companion, I suppose. If this is the real one. It's not really me, anyway, is it?" Amy looked apologetically at her fiancé. "Would I be happy settling down in a place with a pub, two shops and a really bad amateur dramatics society?" Rose laughed. "That's why I got pregnant, so I don't have to see them doing Oklahoma. Doctor, what are you doing?" the Doctor held up a fistful of it from the nearest pile. "And what are those piles of dust?"

"I think they were the kids," Rose told her mournfully. "Aren't they?"

The Doctor let the dust he had been examining on his hand fall back into it's pile. "Play time's definitely over," he confirmed.

"Oh, my God," Amy said.

"What could have happened to them?" Rose asked shakily, biting her tongue.

"What happened to them?" Rory asked at the same time.

"I think they did," the Doctor told them looking out into the village and spotting a group of around twenty elders walking in a faraway path in front of a building.

"They're just old people," Amy said defensively. Rose stayed quiet for a second trying to piece things together, they were trying to determine which reality was, for no better word, real, and which was a dream.

"No. They're very old people," he slid his hand into Rose's and pulled her down the steps, not giving her any more time to wonder, his other two companions followed. "Sorry, Rory, I don't think you're what's been keeping them alive," Rose giggled at the Doctor's comment.

The elderly were lining up along the path that faced the park, the four travellers made their way to them quickly.

"Hello, peasants," the Dream Lord appeared startling Rose. "What's this, attack of the old people? Oh, that's ridiculous," he pointed at the larger group. This has got to be the dream, hasn't it? What do you think, Amy? Let's all jump under a bus and wake up in the TARDIS." He looked at Rose and the Doctor "You two first! Rose Tyler and the Doctor in the TARDIS, just like it's meant to be."

"Leave her alone!" the two of them said quickly, dropping their hands to their sides.

"Do that again. I love it when he does that. Tall dark hero, 'leave her alone'. And his loyal wolf, jumping up to defend him and back him up without hesitating. If she knew what you've done with her," the Dream Lord gave Rose a cruel smile and turned to Amy. "Would she be so keen to defend you?"

"Just leave her!" Rory glared.

"Yes, you're not quite so impressive. But I know where your heart lies, don't I, Amy Pond?" he chuckled.

"Shut up! Just shut up and leave me alone," Amy stepped in front of Rory.

"But listen, you're in there. Loves a redhead, the Doctor! Has he told you about Elizabeth the First? Well, she thought she was the first... He hasn't even mentioned Rose here, has he?"

Rose stopped breathing and looked at the new Doctor, betrayal evident in her eyes. "You promised that wouldn't happen," she whispered. She had accepted that he would move on, just like she should have done with John. But she had always thought, hoped, really, that he wouldn't just forget her completely like he had done with Sarah-Jane.

The Doctor looked at her apologetically for a second before turning threateningly to the Dream Lord. "Drop it. Drop all of it. I know who you are."

"'Course you don't," the Dream Lord laughed.

"'Course I do. No idea how you can be here, but there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do," Rose blinked and her skin crawled seeing the half scowl the Dream Lord was giving her Doctor. It was a look of pure hatred. He clearly wasn't a Dalek, he wasn't trying to 'exterminate' them. So, who could hate the Doctor more than anything else, just like the Dream Lord's delight in their suffering showed he did? Just like his eyes reflected when looking at the Doctor?

Just like, her mind flashed to all those times she had seen that look of self-hatred in all the versions of him that she had meet, when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Never mind me! Maybe you SHOULD worry about them,"

The elderly of the village begin start to walk toward them, their numbers had grown slightly. The four people look back and forth between the Dream Lord and the apparently inoffensive group.

"Hi," Rory called.

"Hello," the Doctor turned around to face them. "We were wondering where you went. To get reinforcements! Are you alright? You look a bit tense."

"Hello, Mr Nainby!" Rory said to a old man who was walking faster than the others.

"Rory..." the Doctor warned.

"Mr Nainby ran the sweet shop," Rory leaned into the Doctor's side. "He used to slip me the odd free toffee." Without saying anything Mr. Nainby grabbed the collar of his jacket single-handedly and picked him up. "Did I not say thank you?" the old man threw him away into the mud. "How did he do that?" he screamed standing up.

"I suspect he's not himself. Don't get comfortable here. You may have to run," he smiled at Rose then looked at Amy's tummy. "Fast."

"Can't we just talk to them?" Amy grabbed her stomach protectively.

The elderly opened their mouths only instead of a tongue a green eye, the size of their mouths pokes out with a hiss.

"There is an eye in her mouth," Amy said surprised while Rory grabbed her arm.

"There's a whole creature inside her," the Doctor replied scanning the closest person. "Inside all of them. They've been there for years, living and waiting."

"That is disgusting. They're not going to be peeping out of anywhere else are they?" Rory asked concerned.

"Eww," Rose stepped away from him. "Who else would think of that in this moment?"

Mrs. Poggit leaned forward, shaping her mouth into an "o" and the eye slid further out. Then it shoot a green mist at Amy who was quickly pulled back to safety by Rory, while the Doctor put himself between them.

"Run!" the Doctor yelled, Rory and Amy immediately ran off. Rose, however, took a step forward and slid her hand into his.

"I'm not leaving you," she said stubbornly.

"You have to keep them safe," he told her looking back at his two other friends and squeezing her hand softly before letting it go. "Now, run!" The blonde woman started to protest, until she saw his face, he was really worried about the two others. With one last smile she turned on her heel and set off, following where the two others had been.

"Ok, leave them," she heard the Doctor say. "Talk to me. Talk to me. You are Eknodines, a proud, ancient race - you're better than this. Why are you hiding away here...?" his voice faded away.

***

In her way an old woman appeared, making her deviate from the original path and take longer to reach the other couple. When she did, however, she found them being attacked by another old lady.

"I can't hit her," Rory hesitated looking at the old lady who he had cared for all those years. A chunk of wood in his hands, held like a baseball bat.

"Do it!" Rose yelled coming up from behind them, finally catching up. Mrs Hammill turned to look at the newcomer and she stilled.

"Whack her!" Amy said ready to run inside their cottage.

Rory finally hit her on the back, the log of wood snapped into pieces and the woman fell to the ground. The three of them ran into the cottage in order to escape the army of the elderly.

Amy collapsed quickly on the stairs, followed by Rose who scanned the room for possible entrance points. Rory came in and shut the door, putting all the locks it had had installed.

"We just ran away. We just abandoned the Doctor. Don't ever call me Chubs again. We don't see him for years, and somehow we don't really connect any more and then, then he takes the bullet for us."

"You know the Doctor. He's Mr Cool," Rory replied moving a coffee table.

"Don't worry, he wanted you out," Rose said helping Rory with the table. "Check for any windows they could climb through, I'll block the ones here," she told him and he ran to the next room.

Just as Rose was closing one of the windows a old man managed to get inside through the other one, which was still open.

"Rose!" Amy called making her turn around to find the man close to her.

Her breath caught, Amy was too far away to save her now. She would fail the Doctor if the girl did die and she didn't think that that would be fair. Rose couldn't let her die, even if saving her meant to possibly harm herself in the process.

Amy watched Rose's eyes turn a bright golden, her face acquiring a sad smile, her skin taking a queer glow. The old man in front of her banished into a gold mist as if he hadn't ever existed. Rose went back to normal, if anything looking a little paler than she had before, and ran weakly to the window closing it and locking it.

She acknowledged Amy's stare by shaking her head when Rory came in, right before the bird song started again.

***

"Ah, it's colder," Amy clutched a blanket to her when they woke up back in the TARDIS.

"The four of us have to agree, now, which is the dream," the Doctor said buttoning up his jacket.

"It's this, here," Rory said crossing his arms.

"He could be right," Amy agreed. "The science is all wrong here, burning ice?"

"No, no, no ice can burn, sofas can read, it's a big universe, the Doctor grinned.

"Dogs can have no noses," Rose giggled remembering when he had finally taken her to Barcelona- the planet, not the city- after his regeneration.

The Doctor laughed and shook his head fondly at her. "We have to agree which battle to lose. All of us, now."

"OK, which world do you think is real?" Amy looked at the three others, clutching the blanket closer to herself.

"This one," the Doctor decided.

"No, the other one!" Rory said, thinking of the baby they were going to have.

"Yeah, but are we disagreeing, or competing?" the Doctor asked.

"Competing over what?" Amy asked frowning. The two men turned to stare at her in disbelief, and she groaned getting up and grabbing two blankets.

The Doctor checked his watch and looked up at his two remaining companions. "Nine minutes till impact. Which one do you think is real?" he asked Rose standing up.

"Neither, the two are too good to be true," she said truthfully.

"We could crash into a burning cold sun, or be incinerated by aliens inside of old people, in any moment now and you say it's too good to be true?" Rory gave her a are-you-crazy look.

"Should I be worried?" she jumped up on the spot and turned to look at Amy.

"What temperature is it?" the other girl asked.

"Outside? Brrrr. How many noughts have you got? Inside? I don't know but I can't feel my feet and... other parts," the Doctor rubbed his hands together.

"I think all my parts are basically fine," Rory said. Amy took a pair of scissors and started to cut into the blankets.

"Stop competing!" the Doctor yelled exasperatedly.

Noticing the phone Rory held it up. "Can't we call for help?"

"Yeah," the Doctor took the phone from him talking over Rose's laugh. "The universe is really small - bound to be someone nearby!" he tapped the man's head and hung it up.

"Put these on, the three of you," Amy threw a plaid green blanket with a hole cut out in the middle to the Doctor, a second pink one to Rose and slipped a third plaid red one over Rory's head.

"Oh, a poncho," Rory said looking down at what Amy had thrown over him. The Doctor spun around showing it off to Rose, who did the same after he was done. "The biggest crime against fashion since lederhosen."

Amy put on her own, light, poncho. "Here we go! My boys... my poncho boys... And Rose," she giggled and stood between the two men pulling Rose to her side. "If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band."

"Doesn't the TARDIS have something better than blankets, Doctor? Don't tell me it's gigantic wardrobe disappeared, too?" The Doctor glared at her accusingly but they were distracted by the star moving closer in the monitor before he answered.

"We're not going to die," Rory said.

"No, we're not," the Doctor agreed checking his watch. "But our time's running out. If we fall asleep here, we're in trouble," he paced back and forth thinking. "If we could divide up, then we'd have an active presence in each world, but the Dream Lord is switching us between the worlds. Why, why, what's the logic?"

The Dream Lord appeared at his side, moving with him and dressed in a blue poncho. "Good idea, veggie, let's divide you four up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion. Maybe I'll keep her, and you can have Pointy Nose to yourself for all eternity, should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality. I may keep blonde, too, you really like her."

Rory, Rose and the Doctor started to hear the birds singing. "Can you hear that?" Rory asked Amy.

"What? No," the girl said frowning.

"Amy, don't be scared, we'll be back," the three fell slowly to the floor and slept.

"Rory, Doctor, don't leave me."

"Amy, we're going to have fun aren't we?" the Dream Lord asked childishly.

"No, please, not alone," Amy cried.

***

Rory woke up on the stairs next to a still-sleeping Amy and in front of a waking Rose. A crashing sound drew their attention to a breaking glass, the pensioners were breaking the window thinking that would be a good strategy to infiltrate.

"Rose, help me with Amy," he said lifting her shoulders. The woman scrambled up looking like she could barely do that, let alone help him carry Amy up the stairs. "Never mind."

Still Rose gripped Amy's ankles and lifted them weakly, a small smile on her face. This didn't keep her from slipping up a little, or her from bumping on a step causing Rory to apologise.

Finally they reached the top floor and Rory was able to drag Amy, without hurting her, into the yellow nursery room.

He let Amy fall down in the center of the room. Rose followed him in, taking a chair and putting it in front of the door. She suddenly started to hear the bird song and sat down, falling asleep almost instantly.

***

Rose gasped and sat up looking at the Doctor's current companion. "What did he tell you?" she asked detecting the gloominess in her face.

"He says I need to choose," Amy answered truthfully, a part of her seeking the ex-companion's advice.

"And you are scared," Rose stated knowingly.

"Did you ever have to do that? Choose between the Doctor and someone else?"

"My mind was made up the moment he said run," Rose said earnestly. "But then, I never did love someone enough to compete with the Doctor."

There was such a finality to her words that Amy would have felt wrong doubting her, so she decided to ask another question. "What was that thing with your eyes? When they turned golden and the old lady banished into dust?"

"Call it the Bad Wolf, I do. It's what I called myself," she smiled. "Don't tell the Doctor yet."

"Why not?" Amy asked suspiciously. She didn't think the Doctor liked being lied to, despite his habit of doing just that himself.

"No time right now, remind me after we decide on something," Rose shrugged.

"Do you know his name?" Amy asked looking at the Doctor's sleeping body.

"Does it matter?" Rose looked at him lovingly and stroked his hair out of his face. "I never really cared."

"Who is the Dream Lord, then? Has he told you?" she looked at the girl with hope and dread.

"No. I think I know, although I'd say it is impossible."

"Who is it? How can you know?"

"There's only one person in the universe that hates the Doctor as much as the Dream Lord hates him," she quoted and shook her head. She had seen the look the Dream Lord gave the Doctor, the same look the Doctor had when he regretted something, when someone had died because of him, and he thought she wasn't looking. "I've got to be imagining things."

"Who do you think it is?"

"The only person who would make him see me just so he could tell him he has to watch me die slowly here, or quickly there."

"Buy who is it, Rose?" Amy asked frustrated when the birdsong started.

"He should..." she dozed off. "Tell you," she fell asleep.

***

"How did I get up here?" Amy asked waking up with her head on Rory's lap.

"I carried you. I'm afraid you may experience some... bruising," he looked at her guiltily.

Rose woke up in the chair and stayed quiet, a small part of her hoping they wouldn't notice. She didn't want to continue the conversation she had been having.

"Where's the Doctor?" Amy asked.

"I don't know. I want to do something for you," he told Amy turning around and unzipping a small bag. After rummaging through it for a second he produced a pair of scissors, then he reached back and without thinking twice he cut the ponytail off.

Amy gasped. "I was starting to like it."

A squeaking sound made Amy shout and the two turned to the source. A window besides the bed where the Doctor was climbing through.

"It's all right, I had to stop off at the butcher's," he fell to the floor and Rose got up to kneel besides him.

"What are we going to do?" Rory asked peering at him.

"I don't know. I thought the freezing TARDIS was real but now I'm not so sure," he said from the floor.

"I think the baby's starting," Amy said.

"Honestly?" Rory asked skeptically.

"Would I make it up at a time like this?" Amy demanded.

"Well, you do have a history of..." he trailed off feeling her glare. "Being very lovely," he covered lamely. "Why are they so desperate to kill us?" he asked as she cried out in pain.

"They're scared," the Doctor stood up. "Fear generates savagery."

"It's going to be okay Amy," Rose said clutching in front of her.

A piece of garden statuary was suddenly thrown through the window, shattering it into millions of pieces. Rory stood up leaving Rose with his fiancé, then went to look. Before he could pull away Mrs. Poggit appeared and shot the green mist at him. He fell back with a groan and Amy went to comfort him. The Doctor picked up a lamp and shoved the attacker out with it before turning to the others.

"Rory!" Amy cried.

"No! I'm not ready," he told her. His right hand started to dissolve slowly.

"Stay," Amy ordered. He couldn't leave her. He was her Rory, he had always been there for her.

The Doctor wiped his eyes watching them and Rose stood up to hold his hand.

"Look after our baby," Rory said before finally turning into dust completely.

"No," Amy said looking at the space where he had been. "No," she repeated. "Come back."

"Amy," the Time Lord mouthed.

"Save him," she said looking up at him brokenhearted. "You save everyone. You always do. It's what you do," her voice rose as she reached the last part, tears threatening to fall out.

"Not always. I'm sorry," he replied in a whisper.

"Then what is the point of you?" she demanded in an even voice. When he didn't reply she touched the pile of dust. "Then you, Rose," she said looking at the other girl who shook her head, a tear sliding down her face. Amy stood up, helping herself with a bureau, the Doctor made as if to assist but his hands hovered over her back for a second before he pulled back.

"This is the dream," she said unable to believe otherwise. "Definitely, this one. Now, if we die here, we wake up, yeah?" she asked hopefully.

"Unless we just die," he nodded slowly.

"Either way, this is my only chance of seeing him again. This is the dream."

"How do you know?" he asked.

Amy gave a humourless laugh. "Because if this is real life, I don't want it. I don't want it," she repeated emphasising the words.

The trio walked out of the room and down the stairs, moving the table to get out of the house. The elderly watched them without moving.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Amy screamed looking around. Rose looked at her biting her tongue, she could completely guess how the other girl felt.

"Either because this is just a dream, or because they know what we're about to do," the Doctor replied.

Amy leads them to the bus the Doctor had driven there and then turns, holding her hand out for the keys.

"Be very sure. This could be the real world," the Doctor said giving her one last chance to change her mind.

"It can't be. Rory isn't here. I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't, I honestly didn't," she sobbed. "Till right now. I just want him."

"OK," he dropped the keys into her hand and held it tightly for a second. "Okay."

Amy walked around to the driver's seat and started the car, Rose got up on the back. As the Doctor made his way to the passenger side the Dream Lord appeared. The Doctor shook his head and got in, closing the door.

"I love Rory, and I never told him, but now he's gone," Amy told him seriously. Without saying anything else she drove forward, smashing the fence, and finally crashing the cottage.

***

They woke up covered by a thick layer of ice inside the TARDIS. The Doctor was the first to open his eyes, followed by Amy who reached instantly for Rory's hand.

"So...you chose this world," the Dream Lord said sounding hugely disappointed. "Well done. You got it right. And with only seconds left. Fair's fair. Let's warm you up," with a wave of his hand the power came back, melting the ice away. "I hope you've enjoyed your little fictions. It all came out of your imagination, so I'll leave you to ponder on that." Rose swallowed, it felt as if that last part was meant for her. She would be in the Doctor's imagination, wouldn't she? She sure hoped so. But that would mean she would have to leave as well. "I have been defeated. I shall withdraw. Farewell," he disappeared.

The Doctor and Rose stood up, he started to work on the controls, turning some other things on. Amy and Rory kneeled in front of each other.

"Something happened. I... What happened to me? I..." Rory stuttered. Amy slowly put her arms around him. "Oh. Oh, right. This is good. I am liking this. Was it something I said?" Amy let him go and looked at him, keeping her hands over his chest. "Can you tell me what it was so I can use it in emergencies? And maybe birthdays."

The TARDIS started to power up and Rose put her hand over the console, feeling the familiar vibrations. "She's back," Rose frowned but was quick to hide it with a grin. In her experience nothing short of the Bad Wolf at the height of its power could reverse death. How had the Dream Lord done it?

"What are we doing now?" Amy asked to distract her, having caught her expression before she masked it.

"Me, I'm going to blow up the TARDIS," the Doctor said struggling to turn a handle.

"What?" Rory asked surprised.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was?" he asked letting go of the handle, Rose's breath caught in her throat. He thought this was the dream, too. "Okay, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and I could have done without the limerick, but he was always very keen to make us choose between dream and reality," he laughed powering up another part of the TARDIS.

"What are you doing?" Amy yelled.

"Doctor! The Dream Lord conceded. This isn't the dream!" Rory reminded him.

"Yes, it is!" the Doctor grinned.

The Dream Lord appeared once again, grinning as well. "I thought you would never figure that one out."

"So this is a dream, too?" Amy asked, looking at Rose's anguished face.

"Certainly. But that brings up another question, doesn't it?" the Doctor stopped moving the controls and looked at the Dream Lord to see where he was going. "Isn't that right Rose?"

"What is he talking about?" the Doctor looked at her not wanting to understand that.

"He means... That I may not really be here at all," she bit her tongue. "That you might lose me again if you crash the TARDIS."

"Brilliant! Isn't she? I see why you loved her," the Dream Lord chuckled. "That's why I picked her. Now you have a new choice, Doctor. Stay here with her, or wake up in the real world where she might not even be back."

"What?" Rory asked. "You can't expect us to believe that."

"It is true," Rose whispered, she did want to believe that she was back, but part of her couldn't be sure. "Doctor, blow up the TARDIS. You can't stay in a false reality forever, it is better-"

She was cut off by him kissing her lips gently. "Rose Tyler," he said, thrilled to find that it rolled off his tongue just as easily as it did off the other two. "I love you."

"And I love you," she grinned putting her arms around his neck and kissed him harder.

"I'd have never forgiven myself if I hadn't done that, real or not," he said pulling away. "But you are right, it's better to do it now," he continued to move controls.

"Doctor, no!" Amy screamed. 

"This is a dream Amy, we will get through," Rory put his arms around her.

"Don't worry. Tell him for me?" Rose asked looking at the redhead.

"The thing we talked about?" she asked. Rose nodded.

"Allons-y?" Rose asked the Doctor smiling.

"Geronimo," he laughed and pressed a last button, exploding everything.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Unfinished, tbh, but it sorta closes before we know if Rose is a dream or not?  
> She's really there, I just never got around to writing that  
> I'm very unlikely to write more, sorry.


End file.
